Closure



CLOSURE Filed June 16, 1955 i 23N /lo f5.4 i z3' 1E 26 q I f .D21/enfer jfoward. e30/:ulg

United States Patent vOtice 2,721,004 Patented Oct. 18, 1955 CLOSURE Howard A. Schultz, Blue Island, lll. Application June 16, 1953, Serial No. 361,971

3 Claims. (Cl. 222-92) This invention relates generally to closures and particularly to closures for containers of the collapsible tube type which are commonly used for distributing toothpaste, creams, pastes and the like.

The common screw cap which is now widely used as a closure for collapsible containers is frequently dropped and lost when removed from the container. It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved screw cap which will not readily become disengaged from the container and lost.

Another object of the invention is to provide a closure for a collapsible tube container which may be opened and closed with a minimum elort.

ther objects of the invention will be evident from the detailed description and claims to follow.

The invention will be best understood from the following detailed description and drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. I is a side elevation View of the cap in closed position on the paste tube in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. II is a side elevation view of the cap and paste tube shown in Fig. I in open position;

Fig. lll is a vertical sectional View of the cap and paste tube shown in Fig. Il;

Fig. IV is a vertical sectional view of a modified form of the cap and paste tube in closed position.

Fig. V is a side elevation View partially in section of the modified cap shown in Fig. IV.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1t) designates generally the hollow neck portion of a paste tube A which may be an integral part of said tube or detachably secured thereto and has one set of screw threads 11 on the lower end thereof below the lateral discharge port B and another set of screw threads 12 on the upper end above the lateral discharge port B. The port B is in uninterrupted communication with the interior of the paste tube A so that the contents of the said tube A can be discharged through port B by the application of pressure to the tube.

A cap member 20 is adapted to lit over the said neck of the tube A and consists of a hollow cylindrical body 21 of slightly greater length than the neck 10. The cap member is closed at its upper end 22 and is provided at its lower end with screw threads 23 which are adapted to engage the screw threads 11 and 12 on the neck 10. The threads 23 project inwardly with respect to the inner vertical wall 24 of the cap so that there will be suticient clearance to freely move the cap downwardly after the threads 23 have passed downwardly over threads 12. The unthreaded portion of the neck 10 is slightly recessed so that the threads 23 of cap 20 do not contact the unthreaded vertical wall section of the neck 10.

The cap member 20 has projecting inwardly from the upper end 22 thereof a cylindrical projection 25 which has an exterior diameter very slightly less than the interior diameter of the hollow neck portion 10 of the paste tube and reciprocates freely therein. The lower end of projection 25 is recessed as at 26 and has a lateral passage 27 through the wall thereof which coincides with the discharge port B when the cap member is in its fully elevated position as when the threads 23 are in contact with the threads 12. And, when the threads 23 on the cap are in engagement with the threads 1 on the lower portion of neck 10, the cap completely closes the discharge port B of the tube.

ln assembling the present device in closed position the cap 20 is iirst placed over the upper end of neck 10 and rotated in a clock-wise direction so as to engage threads 12 on neck 10. 'I'he rotation of the cap is continued until the threads on the lower end of the cap pass completely over and become disengaged from threads 12 on said neck 10. The cap is now free to be :moved downwardly so as to close the discharge port B. In order to completely close and secure the cap in the closed position, the cap is rotated in a clock-wise direction so that the threads on the lower end of the cap engage the threads 11 at the base of the neck. f.

When it is desired to use the paste in the collapsible tube the cap 10 is unscrewed so as to disengage the threads and is raised upwardly when pressure is applied to the tube body until the threads on the cap contact the threads 12 at the upper end of the tube neck. lt will be evident that there will be little likelihood of completely disengaging the cap 2t) from the neck 10. In the preferred embodiment of the invention it is, of course, unnecessary to cause the threads on cap 2l) to engage the threads 12 on the upper end of the neck portion since the pressure of the tube contents on the recessed portion 26 of the projection 25 will maintain the cap in an elevated position so as to fully open the discharge port B.

While the present embodiment has described and shown the neck of the paste tube as an integral part of the tube, it should be understood that the elongated neck portion having a lateral discharge port may be made as a separate unit and provided with threads on the lower extremities thereof so that the unit may be applied to the conventional collapsible paste tube or the like without modication thereof. Also, the elongated neck portion may extend at right angles to the longitudinal axis of the tube as well as parallel thereto, as shown in the drawings.

In Fig. IV is shown a further modification of the present invention wherein the threads on the upper end of the tube neck are replaced by a pair of outwardly extending tabs or ears 30, 31. The projecting ears 30, 31 are preferably at opposite ends of a diameter of the tube neck but, of course, a plurality of projections may be disposed at several positions around the circumference of the tube neck, if preferred. The ears 33, 3l extend outwardly approximately the same distance as do the external threads 11 at the base of the tube neck. In order to permit the cap 20' to pass over the projecting ears 30, 31 so as to engage the threads 11 at the base of the neck, cap 20 is provided at the lower end thereof with a pair of slots 32, 33 which extend across the internally threaded section of the cap. The slots 32, 33 are spaced circumferentially in the same manner as the projecting ears 3b, 31 in order to co-act therewith. The grooves or slots 32, 33 are suiciently wide and suiliciently deep to permit the cap 20 to pass over the projecting ears 30, 31 Without requiring the exertion of undue pressure on the cap 2li although it is preferable that the cap be sprung slightly in order to pass over the projecting ears. ter the cap 20 has been positioned over the ears 30, 31, it will be evident that the cap 20 will not readily become disengaged from the neck of the collapsible tube, particularly when the cap 20 must be sprung slightly in order to slide over the projecting ears V30, 31. Thus, when the cap 20' is forced upwardly, by the contents of. the tube or by manual operation, the upperl edges of the screw threads 23' engage the projecting ears 30, 31 and prevent the cap becoming disengaged froml the Vneck of the tube.

Others may readily adapt the invention for use under various conditions Vof service, by employing one or more of the novel features disclosed or equivalents thereof. As at present advised with respect to the apparent scope of my invention, I desire toV claim the following subject matter.

I claim: Y

l. A closure for a collapsible container comprising a discharge-memberhaving an axial passage therethrough suitable for communicating with the interior of a ilexible- Wall type container, and a closureV member securable to said discharge member and vertically reciprocable therein,

,saidV discharge member being provided at the upper end thereof with means for engaging the said closure member to prevent the closure member becoming disengaged therefrom and a lateral discharge port intermediate the extrem- Y ities thereof, said discharge member also being externally threaded adjacent its'lower end for sealably engaging the saidV closure member said closure member having lateral surfaces suitable for enclosing the discharge member and having a projection spaced inwardly of said lateral surfaces and in axial alignment therewith suitable for extending into the interior of the saidy discharge member 4 reciprocable within the said discharge member and closing one end of the said discharge member and having a passage therethrough in communication with the interior of said container which is registrable with the said lateral discharge port, the said lateral surfaces of the closure member adjacent the open end thereof provided with an internally threaded section suitable for co-acting Vwith the external threads of the said tubular discharge member to form a sealing engagementV with the said discharge member.

3. A closure for a collapsible container comprising a tubular discharge member having an axial passagel therethrough suitable for communicating with the interior of a exible walled container and a closureV member securable to said discharge member, said discharge member being provided at the outer end thereof with at least one projection extending laterally therefrom which is engageable with the closure member to prevent VVthe closure member becoming disengaged therefrom and being provided at the inner end thereof Withan externally threaded section, and having a section of reduced diameter with a lateral Y closure member having cylindrical lateral surfaces suitable which is'reciprocable therein and closing one end of the discharge member, said projection having a passage therethrough in communication with the interior of the said container which is registerable with the lateral discharge port intermediate the ends of the said discharge member.

2. A closure'for a collapsible conainer comprising a tubular discharge memberhaving an axial passage therethrough suitable for communicating with the interior of a flexible-walled container, and a closure `member securable to said discharge member which is provided at the opposite ends thereof withexternally threaded sections, said tubular discharge member having a section of'reduced diameter between the said threaded sections with a lateral discharge port extending through one Wall thereof, said i' closure member having cylindrical lateral surfaces suitableV for enclosing the tubular discharge member and the internal diameter of which is slightly greater than the maximum external diameter of the said discharge member and having a closure wall extending across one end there- VVof,'said wall having a cylindrical projection suitable for extending into the interior of the said tubular discharge chamber Vwhich is spaced inwardly of the said lateral surfaces and concentric therewith, said projection being freely for enclosing the tubular discharge member and the internal diameter of which is slightly greater than the maximum external diameter of the said dischargey member and also having a transverse end closure wall extending across one end thereof, said Vwall having a cylindrical projection extending into the interior of the said tubular discharge chamber Vwhich is spaced inwardly of the said lateral surfaces of the closure member and concentric therewith, said projection being freely reciprocable within the said discharge member closing one end of the said discharge member and having a passage therethrough in communication with the interior of said container which is registrable with thesaid lateral discharge port, the said lateral sur-A faces of the closure member adjacent the open end thereof being provided with an internally threaded section suitable for forming a sealing engagement with the externally References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS McCormack Ian. 6, 1925 Hannerstein June 3, 1930 discharge port extending through one wall thereof, said 

